The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. That's why we've rounded up our top picks for your home, ranging from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans to semi-automatics that give you the most control over your espresso.
The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automatizing the process while making you familiar with the art of making espresso. It's the best bean-to cup machine we've found.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a great option for those looking to make espresso at their home without losing quality. This prosumer espresso machine is designed with limited counter space in mind. It combines outstanding build quality with the smallest footprint. It comes with a 1.8 Liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Heads so that you can steam your milk and brew your coffee at the same at the same time.
The machine also looks great and features a round design on the side panel with engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a fresh update on Rocket's classic aesthetic and is already impressive for a machine that is so small. It also comes with a black pressure gauge that shows when the boiler is ready to use.
The water reservoir and drip tray are smaller on this model than other models. You'll need to be careful when emptying and refilling the machine. This is particularly true when you are using it often. This is a sacrifice that comes with having smaller footprint. This isn't a problem specific to this model.
You can still brew a lot of coffee with this machine, and it will easily meet your demands. We suggest investing in a quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Giante to increase consistency and flavor. You can also use this machine in conjunction with an Rocket portafilter to enhance the tamping process.
As a prosumer espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and is easy to create the latte art. It's important to note that this machine was not intended for novices. There is a slight learning curve for people who are upgrading from appliances-grade espresso machines. The heat exchanger is difficult to operate and you'll have to learn how to perform cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento allow connecting to a water supply, which means you'll always have cold, fresh filtering water available for your drinks. The latter comes with a 2.25-liter water tank that can be more difficult to fill than its competitors.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
This machine is built to Lavazza's highest standards. The machine reaches the brewing temperature quickly, meaning you can make your first cup in less than 35 second. The tank can be filled easily with ease, since the lid can be removed to make the large hole. It can be filled using tap water, should you wish.
The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the range, but it is a powerful machine. It's priced at less than PS100 at retail and is much less expensive than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. The Jolie is a great option for those who don't have the space or money for a traditional espresso machine however, they nevertheless want to drink the authentic Italian espresso.
The Jolie is simple to use and takes up little counter space. You only need to press a single button to activate the machine and again to start dispensing the chosen pod. The button has a backlight to let you know how much you have consumed. You can also manually stop the process, in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller portions.
The model isn't equipped with a steam wand, but you can add some creamy foam to your milk with an optional milk frother. The machine is quite quiet, too, and can be used in a small space or in a kitchen with flatshare without causing any disturbance to anyone else.
The pods aren't inexpensive, but they come in a variety of blends that can be used by all - from the lightest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are sold in most supermarkets along with regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods on the internet.
The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule machine with an integrated milk warmer. It comes with a 75cm plug and power cable, a warranty sheet and a quick reference, and a tester pack comprising nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasts (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine itself is small enough to be kept on the floor or placed under your cupboard.
3. Breville BES870XL
At first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso maker that's beyond the budget of most average consumers. If you're willing and able learn to use it and make it work, then this is a fantastic home espresso maker. It performs better than many of the more expensive models. It's an excellent price for the class and is particularly useful for those who aren't experienced enough to own an espresso machine that can cost up to $100.
The model is priced lower than the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) however it is an excellent choice for baristas who are on a tight budget. It has a lot of options to customize and features, including an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It is also a single-boiler machine, which means it can only do one thing at a time.
Breville is relatively new to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly earned a reputation for its high-quality appliances. This machine is no exception and has enough adjustable control to let baristas who are aspiring improve their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they need to.
It's not without its quirks, though. The hopper is on the side, not at the top of the model. It's not a big issue, but it can be frustrating if you want to disperse several shots at once. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to know the amount of liquid left.
But if you're prepared to invest some time learning how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's an excellent, all-purpose appliance for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only downside is the price, which can be a nagging issue for certain buyers. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, we suggest the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. filter coffee machines are comparable in their capabilities and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express. However, they are a fraction of the price.
4. OXO Brew 9-Cup
A high-tech, intelligent coffee maker that produces great coffee with a simple interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen give a sophisticated design to your kitchen. It comes with one dial that lets you to program the number of cups. There are two settings available: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over, which most coffee lovers believe makes the most flavorful coffee. The water is heated up to the right temperature, then evenly distributed over the coffee grounds with shower heads. The coffee is then brewed in the double-walled, thermal carafe for upto 60 minutes. The pause and pour feature lets you take out the carafe in brewing and fill your individual cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and shows a red light on its LED interface, until you return the carafe. It then resumes brewing.
The OXO Brew 9-Cup coffee maker is a SCAA-certified coffee maker, that means it is in compliance with the organization's rigorous technical standards. The brew cycle is longer than the Bodum BISTRO and the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it offers greater control over temperature, brewing time and also quality.
In our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee that filled the carafe filled in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. That's a little longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require but well within the range coffee experts recommend for a good cup of drip.
It is also necessary to grind your beans before brewing. You can make use of a manual coffee grinder, or choose a more automated model like the Baratza Encore, which has multiple grind settings and the hopper can hold entire beans.
The only issue with this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a problem for some users. The stainless steel is still easy to clean by hand, however. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and easy-to-use interface make it a top contender among the best drip coffee makers.
